Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-10-26

1Ss1N Will hav6 70 decide
AZ their balloss ! question which for
9elss ~ been III absorhiDg ia Da-
hotS polite, Tie question 81 the di-
ylsion n the present territory.
MuCh has been said and written on
This subject, but it, importance de-
mands constant thought and discus
sion until finally settled. We be-
fisss Dakota, Is now constituted, is
700 large for good government and
that the interests OF the citizens OF
each section will be materially nd
vanced by division on the It'll stand
ard parallel. This would divide the
territory into two sections very
nearly equal in area, there being
about 10000 square miles in the
southern section and about 10000 in
the northeru. Az at present consti-
tuted, the average area Of the thir-
teen original states Of the Union is
20,503 square miles and the average
area Of the thirty-eight states now
constituting tho Union is 54,92,
square miles. South Dakota would
about equal in area Minnesota or
Kansas and would exceed in size all
Of the other states except Texas,
California, Colorado, Nevada and
Oregon. OF these FIVE larger states
Texas has reserved to her the priv
ilege Of at any time dividing into
four states while the others, by reason
OF their large area Of mountain,
desert and waste lands, do not ex-
coed South Dakota in square miles
Of strictly agricultural land and con-
not support any larger population.
South Dakota's area would be larger
than the combined six New England
states with Delaware and New Jersey
thrown in. The population ofSouth
nakota at present is about $4,000,
which exceeds the population ofthe
states Of Colorado, Delaware, Florida,
Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon,
Rhode Island aud Vermont MS shown
by the census Of 1880, and exceeds
by far the population Of any state Of
the Union at the time Of it's admis-
sion. In schools, churches. rail-
roads, newspapers, intelligence, en-
terprise, wealth. natural resources
and all that goes to make up a grand
and prosperous commonwealth,
either North or South Dakota ex-
ceeds the condition Of any state at
the time of it's admission and that
Of many Of the states to-day. There
are many and unnnswerable argu-
ments in favor Of the creation Of two
states out Of Dakota Territory and
but few in opposition. The latter
are either based upon partisan rea-
sons OF false premises. The main
objection is, that it costs more per
capita to run asmall state than a
large one. In answer to this we
would say first, as already shown,
South Dakota would not be a small
state, but be larger than thirty Of the
states. Secondly, the figures show
that the per capita tax in the smaller
states is less than in the larger ones.
Upon this branch we would call at.
tention to the able article by Judge
Clifford, published some two weeks
since in the Canton Adrocate and
Sioux City Journal which shows be-
yond ! doubt by the official re-
cords that the above is true. Why,
Dakota is SO large now that the
milage Of member Of the Legisla-
ture from this county at the last two
sessions equaled his per diem for the
sixty days.
The points in favor Of division
cannot all be discussed at this time
on account Of our limited space.
We will, however, present two or
three Of the more important ones:
lst. The ear a government,
such as ours, comes to the people,
the nearer the seat Of government is
to oil the people, the greater interest
will the people feel in governmental
affairs and the greater the ems Of
responsibility Of the officers of the
state and Of their accountability to
the people. We do not feel as keen
an interest and do not keep our
selves As well posted regarding the
dOings OF Congress as VIZ do regard
ing the acts Of our Legislature, and
yet the Acts of Congress are superior
as laws and affect our property and
very lives. The a is that the
distance is SO great that we do not
inform ourselves. The capital Of
South Dakota will be Mt least $50
miles from parts Of the state, while
rs now located, Bismarck is twice
that distance from the most remote
parts by the nearest railroad.
and, The interest Of the two
sections are opposed to each other
and all business, both public and
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